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Friday, March 29, 2013 by Shelley Miles
April Activities, Parenting, Recipes
April 20 Lima Bean Respect Day
Sometimes kids are so worried about what their friends think, that they forget about their own opinions. What does this have to do with Lima beans? Enjoy one of my favorite books, A Bad Case of Stripes
A Bad Case of Stripes read by Sean Astin while enjoying some delicious Crockpot Baby Lima Beans
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 by Shelley Miles
April Activities, Games, Recipes
APRIL 4 - Tater Day, Hank Aaron Tied Babe Ruth's Home Run Record
There is no better time to enjoy a game of ball with your little one. Playing catch is one of the first games in which your baby is an active, reciprocal participant. But along with the joy of playing, your child also experiences an emotional dilemma. The game requires your child to give up his or her special ball. He or she thinks, "Will I get my ball back"? By rolling or throwing the ball back, you are saying, “Yes! You can trust me.”
According to nutritionists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI),the sweet potato ranked number one in nutrition of all vegetables. With a score of 184, the sweet potato outscored the next highest vegetable by more than 100 points. Points were given for content of dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars and complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. Points were deducted for fat content (especially saturated fat), sodium, cholesterol, added refined sugars and caffeine. The higher the score, the more nutritious the food. So, try these sweet potato oven fries for something both nutritious and delicious.
Sweet Potato Oven Fries
Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper or chile powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large (about 1 1/2 pounds) sweet potatoes
How to
Prepare the sweet potatoes:
- In a small bowl, combine salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Peel potatoes, cut each in half lengthwise, and cut each half into 6 wedges.
- In a large bowl, combine the cut potatoes, oil, and spice mixture.
- Toss until potatoes are evenly coated
Bake the fries:
- On a baking sheet, arrange potatoes in a single layer and place on the middle shelf of the oven.
- Bake until edges are crisp and potatoes are cooked through -- about 30 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013 by Shelley Miles
March activities, Math, Recipes
MARCH 14 - Pi Day, Potato Chip Day
Pi is the number you get if you divide the circumfrence of any circle by it's diameter - approximately 3.14. A fun way to teach this concept is to take some rope or string.. Go out in the back yard and make some circles. Then lay down a piece of rope accross the circles to measure the diameter. Take the rope that is the diameter- and see how many times if fits around the circle. You'll end up with 3 plus a bit. That is pi. Try it on different sized circles and see what happens. Then - head in for a bite of your favorite piece of pie. Ideas for learning about Pi
In the summer of 1853, Native American George Crum was employed as a chef at an elegant resort in Saratoga Springs, New York. One dinner guest found Crum's French fries too thick for his liking and rejected the order. Crum decided to rile the guest by producing fries too thin and crisp to skewer with a fork. The plan backfired. The guest was ecstatic over the browned, paper-thin potatoes, and other diners began requesting Crum's potato chips Potato Chip Recipe What a great example of the Beautiful Oops.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013 by Shelley Miles
March activities, Recipes
March 24 - Chocolate Raisins Day
Kids love raisins—especially when they are dipped in chocolate—so why not whip up a batch? All you need is about 10 ounces of plump juicy raisins and a 6-ounce chocolate bar. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate bar. Set saucepan in hot water to maintain the chocolate’s dipping consistency. Dip several raisins at a time into the chocolate and then transfer them into paper muffin liners. Refrigerate until the chocolate sets (usually about 10 minutes). Store the cookies in the refrigerator, in an air-tight container.
Sunday, December 30, 2012 by Shelley Miles
January Activities, Recipes
JANUARY 23 – Measure your feet day, National pie day
Feet come in all sizes; big, little, fat, and skinny. A great way to teach your child about feet is to trace them on a piece of construction paper. If you really want some fun, put some tempura paint in a pie tin, and allow your child to make a footprint by placing his foot in to paint, and then on to paper. Now it is your turn to do the same!
Pies are quickly surpassing cupcakes as the desert du jour, even surpassing cupcakes in popularity. And pies are easy to make. You can use frozen shells, but playing with the dough is half the fun. Here is a really easy pie recipe that the kids will love making.
Peanut Butter Pie
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping
- Thawed 1 graham cracker pie crust - you can buy these pre-made at the market
How to
- In a large mixer bowl combine cream cheese and sugar; mix well.
- Add peanut butter and mix.
- Slowly add milk and mix well.
- Fold in whipped topping.
- Pour into pie shell and cover.
Delicious with a glass of cold milk.
Happy birthday, Brenna. Happy anniversary, Phil.
Thursday, November 29, 2012 by Shelley Miles
December Activities, Recipes
DECEMBER 23 - Roots day
Fresh root vegetables are plentiful and inexpensive in winter. This easy, delicious recipe can be enjoyed by all ages. For toddlers, cut the cooked vegetables into very small pieces. For infants, simply mash the cooked pieces. And the leftover raw veggies can be used as a tasty addition to your vegetable soup. Peel and cut a variety of root vegetables into 2-inch pieces. Try potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, onions, sweet potatoes, beets and yams. Explain to your child that root vegetables grow under the ground, tell him, or her, the different names, and point out all the colors. Add 1 tablespoon of olive or canola oil to the cut up vegetables and toss in a baking dish Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Season to taste.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 by Shelley Miles
crafts, December Activities, recipes
DECEMBER 12 - Poinsettia Day, National ding-a-ling day
Poinsettias are beautiful and festive! They are also poisonous if consumed, so if you have small children or pets at home, it’s best to enjoy artificial versions—or better yet, this homemade one! These non-toxic poinsettias will brighten any room.
Poinsettia craft
Materials
- Red, green and yellow construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Dessert-sized paper plates
How to
- Trace your child’s hand on red and green construction paper several times. Cut out tracings
- Trace circles on the yellow construction paper using the bottom of a glass or a tin can as a pattern.
- Cut out the yellow circles.
- Glue the green hand cut-outs along the outer edge of a dessert-sized paper plate (fingers out).
- Glue the red cut-outs in a second circle, with the palms of the hands meeting in the center of the plate.
- Add a yellow paper center to each flower
- Glue a craft stick to each plate for a stem.
- Stick a bunch into some florist’s foam and put into a decorative pot.
Go hug your favorite ding-a-ling today. And if you consider yourself a ding-a-ling, spread some ditzy cheer among your friends. Or make some of this delicious Ding Dong cake
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 by Shelley Miles
Recipes, December Activities
DECEMBER 15 - National lemon cupcake day, Bill of Rights day, Cat herders day
For every celebration, cupcakes are always in high demand. And, the more festive looking, the better. These cupcakes are really easy to make, and look and taste great.
Really Easy Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 package of yellow cake mix
- 1 tsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 can of whipping cream
- Lemon gumdrop
- Paper cupcake liners
How To
Prepare cake mix according to directions for cupcakes.
Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the batter.
Place cupcake liners in muffin tins.
Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling about half full.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertips. (mini-cakes will bake a little faster)
Remove and place on wire rack; cool completely.
Frost with whipped cream and place a lemon drop in the center of each cake.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Today in 1791, the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, were signed into law. Congress for Kids explains the concepts clearly, and has some fun games to help kids learn about the Constitution.
It's Cat Herders Day. Sometimes, dealing with more than two kids at a time feels like herding cats. This funny video says it all.
Sunday, October 28, 2012 by Shelley Miles
November activities, November holidays, recipes
NOVEMBER 15—National clean your refrigerator out day, I love to write day, National bundt pan day
Young children actually like helping with the chores, so take advantage—it won’t last! Lending a hand around the house also gives them a sense of accomplishment and pride. Cleaning out the refrigerator is a wonderful lesson in identifying food items (provided they have not yet turned into science experiments) and categorizing them (meat, cheese, vegetables, etc.). When you’re done, reward yourselves by finishing off the last container of ice cream . . . couldn’t you use more room in that freezer?
Did you know that a Pillsbury baking contest in 1966 made aluminum bundt pans so popular that they outsold Jello molds to become the most sold pan in America? What are you waiting for? Turn on some Top Hits 1966 and try the recipe that started it all, the famous Tunnel of Fudge Cake
Sunday, September 30, 2012 by Shelley Miles
craft, October activities, book lists, October holidays, Recipes
OCTOBER 8 –National pierogi day, american touch tag day, world egg day, RL Stine birthday
If you've never eaten pierogi, you are in for a treat. What's a pierogi? It is a Polish won ton - boiled, steamed or fried. . Try these delicious Pierogi Recipes from AllRecipes.com
This is the day egg industries throughout the world celebrate the natural nutrition, versatility, convenience, and economy of eggs and egg products.
You can show just how versatile eggs are by using their shells in an art project. Fill a quart container with eggshells, and then spray them with a mixture of water and bleach to kill any germs.
Once they are dry, break the eggshells and dye them different colors by placing the fragments in bowls of food coloring. Dry the eggshells thoroughly.
Create unusual mosaics by gluing the pieces onto construction paper.
Egg Trivia: Did you know that white eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes, and brown eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes?
Where would the world be without RL Stine? It would certainly be a less deliciously scary place without the hundreds of "Goose Bump" books. If your child hasn't been sufficiently scared after reading the books, check out these spooky games at the RLStine website.
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